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Went stomping around YYZ with my beau. A stop in the past (Toronto’s First Post Office) to send one another love letters worked up an appetite and we ventured to my local favourite: Hank’s! Hank’s decor (grey walls, fireplaces on flat screen TVs, art by local painters and homemade chandeliers) is inconsistent with the menu but the food has always been delicious. I discovered the place when a friend brought me to the re-done Wine Bar (no longer a Jamie Kennedy establishment) and explained that the owners also owned this place. It’s the perfect place for a quick bite before jetting off elsewhere like proper city folk!

One of the most indulgent things in the world: all day breakfast. I especially love having breakfast foods at 2pm in the afternoon … outside of the confines of a greasy spoon/ diner. We shared the Breakfast Poutine which featured: cheese curds, breakfast sausage and tomatoes, topped with a poached egg & hollandaise sauce. All of the components of a conventional breakfast but served in a way that is conducive to sharing (note: not just sharing of a romantic nature).We didn’t see any of the advertised sausage but there seemed to be some sort of bacon strewn throughout. The hollandaise sauce was perfectly creamy and a cheerful pale yellow.The second dish we shared: Dutch Oven Pancake. I love pancakes (can’t make them for the life of me!!) and I was intrigued by the pineapple/ passionfruit compote that accompanied it along with whipped cream. Cooking the pancake in, what I imagined was a cast iron skillet, made for a golden crunchy exterior and eggy and gooey interior. Mmmmm.

Every visit to Hank’s is satisfying in an understated way. I love that I can always get a booth and that there’s just the right amount of people in the restaurant to create a lively atmosphere (no one wants to eat brunch to only the sounds of cutlery clanging and your own voice!). It’s tucked away on Front & Church St. – away from the clamour of the market and the chaos of Yonge & Dundas (two areas which I abhor on the weekend!). I urge you to have brunch here immediately and tell me all about it!

Clementine Dipple

RE: Whippoorwill – It’s SOOOO far but the burgers are to-die-for. Get on a bike/ grab a car/ STOMP out there and try one as soon as you can. Your tummy demands it!